Are YOUR baby bath products SAFE?

11Mar

Did you know that the FDA has not passed a major law regulating the beauty industry since 1938?!? Pretty crazy, right?

This law does not prevent companies from using carcinogenic ingredients in baby products. That’s why we can find ingredients such as dioxane, formaldehyde and nitrosamine in baby products. These are all known human carcinogens, often with strong evidence to prove it.

Not only are these ingredients allowed in our products, they don’t have to be listed on the label. Yep! You read that right. Dioxane and formaldehyde are not considered ingredients, since they can end up in the product as a result of chemical breakdown during the manufacturing process. So, they don’t have to be listed. A pretty convenient loophole for some!

These ingredients are not only found in big name brands that you are probably thinking of, they have even been found in skincare products labeled as organic.

Should we be worried?

Some experts say that we shouldn’t worry because these chemicals are in our products in just small amounts.

HOWEVER…

Small amounts can accumulate in our bodies over time.

Small amounts can even be more harmful, in the case of hormone disruptors, as they mimic our bodies hormones more closely.

Most fascinating of all is that a small dose can have a big impact. 1 part per a billion is the equivalent to 1 teaspoon of food coloring in an Olympic size pool. BUT, think about this… .035 per a billion is the active ingredient in the NuvaRing, and it will stop conception. When you look at it that way, a small amount doesn’t seem so insignificant, right?

Some experts argue that well, it’s just a small amount and even worse, Dr. Jim Sears, MD, author of The Baby Book and co-host of the show The Doctors, has been quoted to say.

“I’m not too worried about these ingredients, since we don’t know for sure if their effects are harmful…”

I am constantly baffled at so-called experts, using the idea that a lack of research or evidence, somehow means not harmful. I think we should take the opposite approach. Especially when it comes to babies.

You see, babies and young children are more vulnerable to toxin exposure because their organs and body systems are not fully developed and, in relation to body weight, they are getting a higher dose than adults.

For so many reasons, just a small amount is still too much.

I am not sharing this information to scare you. I want to empower you to make safer choices for you and your family!

What do I use?

I’ve tried it all. From the ultra-crunchy to DIY to the safer brands I found on Skindeep. I found a lot of the really clean soaps that I use for myself to be a little too drying for Indyanna’s skin. Also, the soap is too strong, as it will sting if it gets in her eyes. Especially when she was younger, it was impossible to keep her from touching her face, during bath time.

Conventional kid’s shampoos and soaps labeled as “tear-free” tend to use a numbing agent. Yuck!

I’ve tried several brands of safe baby products and I finally settled on Beautycounter. Let me tell you why!

I can honestly say the Beautycounter baby and kid’s line is by far the best we’ve found!

Most importantly, Beautycounter is ultra transparent. Every single ingredient is listed on their website. They also do 3rd party testing for contaminants.

In addition, they are working hard to not only bring awareness to this lack of transparency in the beauty industry, they are working to change the current legislation (or really lack thereof). They are lobbying in Washington, they are organizing campaigns for citizens to contact their representatives and they have staff that researches the legislation. This does not help their bottom line much, but they do it anyway because they care. I personally love to vote with my dollars and support companies like this.

PLUS, their products rock! They work so well. The kid’s and baby line are gentle and moisturizing. Many natural/non-toxic brands I’ve used, have been very drying for my little’s skin.

Beautycounter does offer a Kid’s line. I LOVE the shampoo and conditioner for her. No more dreadlocks! I am one happy mama!

The baby line can be purchased in a bundle, a gift-box (so great for baby showers!) or separately. All items are rated a 1 by EWG! The ingredients are minimal, gentle and safe.

Safe Baby Products

Baby Gentle All-Over Wash

Specially formulated for babies’ bath time, our two-in-one hair and body wash is ideal for delicate skin. The gentle, tear-free formula effectively cleanses and nourishes from head to toe without stripping away moisture.

Baby Daily Protective Balm

This stuff is amazing and it can actually be used on anybody! But, it’s designed to be gentle enough for newborns. This soothing blend of organic shea butter and jojoba oil provides a layer of protection for dry, sensitive skin for both babies and moms.

Baby Soothing Oil

THIS stuff I am obsessed with! I use it for myself and Indyanna. It is the best oil, I’ve ever used. It’s moisturizing, but not greasy at all. It’s actually pretty dry! So, you can put it on and then not get all slippery and get grease stains on your clothes, like I used to do ALL.THE.TIME with coconut oil.

A mix of organic coconut, jojoba, and sunflower seed oils, our dry oil soothes and softens skin for a nourishing experience. The formula—designed for newborns and up—absorbs easily without ever feeling greasy.

Baby Calming Diaper Rash Cream

I love that this cream is safe to use with cloth diapers! Each ingredient is specifically chosen to help reduce and prevent irritation, which is too common with sensitive baby skin. This is the best product for relieving your child’s diaper rash — you can’t go wrong with ingredients like Shea Butter, Beeswax and Jojoba!

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About Arsy Vartanian

Arsy Vartanian is the founder of the Paleo recipe and lifestyle blog, Rubies and Radishes and she is also the author of the cookbooks, The Paleo Slow Cooker and The Paleo Foodie. Arsy enjoys spending time in her kitchen creating healthy, grain-free recipes for her family and her blog readers.

I found it interesting about the small amoun of chemicals and how you put it in perspective. I have recently started using some Alba products for my teenagers. I’m entering this contest to give my niece a great gift for her new baby!

I currently use a variety of baby products I’ve researched on EWG’s skin deep website. I use a natural soap from Batty’s Bath, shampoos and conditioner from Morrocco Method, and a balm from Honest Company. I’d definitely be interested in trying out the balm and the oil, as our little one sometimes has dry patches due to eczema. Thanks for sharing!!

Yes!!! The shampoo and conditioner are amazing. I don’t know if they would like to use the kids or the adult version. I have friends with fine hair that use the kids and love it. I personally use the adult shampoo and conditioner and it’s awesome. The best I’ve ever found that is rated in the green by EWG. You can see it here – http://www.beautycounter.com/arsyvartanian?goto=body-hair.html

Also, Beautycounter offers a 60-Day no-questions-asked refund policy, so if it doesn’t work for them for some reason, they can return it.